In Chiba prefecture, far from the traditional cultural centers of Tokyo, Kyoto, and Nara, there is a temple complex called Nihonji. The temple is located on the side of a sacred mountain amidst an old rock quarry and has…
Meet Frank
This Ki-84 / Army Type 4 Hayate (Allied reporting name “Frank”) fighter is inside the Chiran Peace Museum for Kamikaze Pilots, the largest and most comprehensive kamikaze museum in Japan. I shot this as part of an upcoming story about…
Josiah Harlan: Soldier, Spy and Suzerain
Today we’re doing something a little different and will be looking at an odd historic figure who pioneered the whole “Americans visiting Afghanistan for fun or profit” thing. Josiah Harlan was born a Quaker and eventually became an Afghani warlord…
Odawara Castle: The Rise and Fall of the Hojo
By: Dave Hansche I’ve written about several castles on this blog thus far, but it has occurred to me that I have overlooked a large rebuilt castle in a pleasant city about an hour away. I’ve visited Odawara…
A Candle-lit Walk in Kawatana: Katashima Taketoro Matsuri
Wandering around a candle-lit ruin in a memorial to the dead was the perfect way to spend the evening before Halloween, though it’s not as spooky or somber as it sounds. The second annual Katashima Taketoro Matsuri (Katashima Bamboo Lantern…
The Ghost of a Castle: Hara Castle Ruins
It’s less a castle ruin and more the ghost of a castle ruin. On the Shimabara peninsula there is a series of rises by the sea. The land rises like green walls and forms terraces, layered as they gain height…
Ruins with a Famous Name: Burg Frankenstein
The landscape of Germany has inspired many authors and painters. Its medieval ruins, sentinels of an earlier age that have long lost their original purpose and shape but stubbornly still stand, seem to lurk from hills and forests, intriguing passing…
Matsumoto Castle: The Pride of a Castle Town
Japan loves its castles. We’ve written about Japanese castles several times on this site, and it is unlikely that we will run out anytime soon. Every old feudal domain (called Han in old Japanese) capital city seems to have…
Sorry, but your article is in a different castle
Sorry for the delay, but there will be an update this week, maybe tomorrow, definitely before the end of Wednesday. A heavy work load and a nasty cold have left me unable to complete this weeks article on time. To…
It’s More Fun in the Philippines! (Part II)
The Road to Vigan Sagada was our last major stop in the mountains but on our way to the northwestern coast we stopped at the Battle of Bessang Pass Memorial, which commemorates a late World War II battle between a…